Auction to buoy Playhouse wins acclaim from bidders

By Elise Mckeown Skolnick

One bidder was there to rebuild her business after a devastating fire.

YOUNGSTOWN — Despite a packed parking lot and plenty of people inspecting items, the auction room was quiet — until bidding started.

Then prices were shouted, bidding cards were flashed, and within moments of opening bids, winners were announced.

The auction Saturday at Byce Auction on Wick Avenue was an effort to raise money for the struggling Youngstown Playhouse.

Long tables filling a large portion of the auction room had items from the theater’s properties collection, including vintage clothing, military uniforms and accessories, costume jewelry, hats, antique cameras and rotary phones.

“I actually came for the clothing and the jewelry,” said Jana Altomare of Lisbon.

She likes wearing vintage clothes and saw some pieces she liked. Though Altomare hadn’t attended an auction in many years, she said she was excited about bidding on the clothes and jewelry.

For Deanna Hosey, auctions have been a way to rebuild what she lost.

In December, her Austintown flower shop was decimated by fire. With little insurance, Hosey needed a cost-effective way to recoup her losses. Auctions and eBay were her answer.

“I’m a big auction person,” Hosey said. “I have quite an inventory that I’ve gathered.”

At the Playhouse auction, she was looking for decorations for both her business and home. A large wagon wheel caught her attention. She was also looking for old spoons for her sister, who turns them into bracelets.

“I just like auctions,” she said. “And the intrigue of the Playhouse — to have a piece of history of our community is important.”

Bradie Higgs of Youngstown was pleased to win a collection of terra-cotta pots.

“I have a lot of flowers, so I can use them,” she said. Her winning bid for the pots was $20.

She also had her eye on a military uniform, saying it was perfect for the Michael Jackson tribute event she planned to attend soon.

Higgs hasn’t been to an auction in a long time, but she said it was fun.

“I like old things. I’m into antiques. So I just came to have a good time,” she said.

The Youngstown Playhouse, plagued by financial difficulties, as well as mold and flooding problems, mounted its first production since last September this month. The Neil Simon play “Barefoot in the Park” opened July 10. The last performance is at 3 p.m. today.

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